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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. land — ground
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. land — to come down
  13. land — a country
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. ball — a great time
  18. bark — to shout

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com